I recently received an e-mail informing me that today is the Third Annual Multicultural Career Fair. The purpose is to give students of color an opportunity to learn more about companies interested in a \diverse work force."" Think about the implications.
Students are invited to find companies that reward people based on the color of their skin. As an Indian-American, I would feel shame and anger to know that I was not hired based on merit, but rather so that my company could advertise a ""diverse work force.""
The simple solution is that businesses should hire based on the candidate's qualifications. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ""I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."" Unfortunately for the Reverend, the multiculturalists are working against his dream.
Multiculturalism endorses the absurd notion that one's racial background is more important than one's individual worth. This is why the multiculturalists do not find it offensive to encourage students to seek companies interested in ""diversity.""
Clearly, learning about other people's cultures is a worthwhile endeavor. It is nice to take pride in the art, customs and accomplishments of your own race. But the problem arises when people begin to value their race above their individual abilities.
One's race is determined by chance. By ""celebrating"" racial differences, multiculturalists move farther away from the dream of a color-blind society. Multiculturalists define people's identity by their race instead of their individual worth-a near-textbook definition of racism.
And the chief multicultural organization is also the best-funded organization on campus, the Multi-Cultural Students Coalition. The Student Services Finance Committee granted an astounding $443,223 to the MCSC this year. The Diversity Education Program, another multiculturalist organization, is the second-highest-funded organization on campus with a $389,600 yearly budget.
Have these organizations improved the dialogue between races, or have they done quite the opposite? One sure thing is that it is nearly impossible to find information about these student groups. Despite their enormous budget, the MCSC does not even have a clear Web site. The Multicultural Student Center seems to be an umbrella organization for the MCSC and some other ethnic coalitions, including the Indian Students Association.
As a freshman, I went to a few ISA events. One of the oddest things was the feeling that ISA members were nice to me solely because I was Indian. I did not attend another event until this year. Instead of fostering a bond with people of all races, organizations like the ISA encourage an insular atmosphere that ultimately causes more segregation.
Linda Chavez, the president of the Center for Equal Opportunity, who spoke at Madison last semester, elegantly states her views on multiculturalist ideas: They ""divide Americans, increase group hostility and pervert the whole notion of color-blind justice."" But it is precisely these organizations that have the largest budgets on our campus.
Students need to make a fair assessment of how much these organizations contribute to our campus. While the MCSC and DEP claim to help students of color, the Greater University Tutoring Service will help anyone regardless of their race. Whereas the MCSC and DEP have the vague mission of ""improving race relations,"" GUTS will help with your math, English or study skills. The combined appropriation for MCSC and DEP this year was a phenomenal $832,823. GUTS was budgeted a measly one-tenth of that amount, $84,533. This is the students' money and it is the students' duty to reprioritize the funding.
But anyway, what does the MCSC do with all of its money? As one member told me, ""Trips to Great America, to Brewer's games, free trips to movies. They are always looking for ways to spend money."" Does this have anything to do with helping race relations, increasing tolerance or improving education? GUTS' money is used to tutor students and help them with their classes. The MCSC gives away free tickets to ""Matrix: Revolutions.""
There is no doubt that tolerance and granting people equal opportunities is an important aspect of education. But in terms of diversity, one should be more concerned with exposure to different ideas rather than different racial backgrounds. The color of one's skin is of little concern to me. I am interested in your ideas, your beliefs and your philosophies. Intellectual diversity is the true diversity that students should seek.
